The information network known as the world-wide-web (WWW) is a subset of the Internet. Information is stored on web pages, which are stored on Internet connected servers. Anyone with an Internet accessible device, such as a personal computer, and an Internet connection may go on-line and navigate web pages. Today's WWW offers users many opportunities for purchasing goods and services, as well as simply obtaining information, from various web sites. Hosts of these web sites are referred to collectively herein as “service providers”.
From the service provider's point of view, it is often desirable to collect personal information about actual or potential users. This information is then used for such purposes as improving the quality of services or for targeting advertisements.
There are a variety of known methods for obtaining information about users who visit websites online. Some commonly know methods are sending and retrieving cookies, conducting on-line surveys, and recording website histories. In the past, a typical user profile was compiled by a service provider of a particular website and not necessarily shared with other service providers. Thus, the profile contents tended to relate only to the business of the service provider. In recent years, however, profile “brokering” enterprises have developed whose purpose is to collect profile information for the purpose of selling it to service providers.